Ethical Standards of Bankers Rated High by 39% of Public

By George Gallup; Copyright (c), 1977, Field Enterprises and Inc. George GallupBy George Gallup; Copyright (c), 1977, Field Enterprises and Inc. George GallupSeptember 23, 1977

The congressional investigation of the personal financial dealings of Bert Lance, who has resigned as director of the Office of Management and Budget, has focused attention on the ethical standards of bankers in general.

The latest Gallup survey, completed prior to the beginning of the recent congressional hearings, shows 39 per cent of Americans giving bankers a "very high" or "high" rating in terms of honesty and ethical standards, 50 per cent a rating of "average" and only 9 per cent a rating of "low" or "very low."

Bankers rank fifth in a list of 20 selected occupational groups who were rated on honesty and ethical standards by a representative sample of the U.S. public.

Topping the list are clergymen, with 62 per cent giving them a very high or high rating, 30 per cent a rating of average, and 6 per cent a rating of low or very low.

In surveys conducted Aug. 5-8 and 19-21, the following question was asked:

How would you rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields - very high, high, average, low or very low?